HSO, provider of innovative enterprise business solutions, is rolling out the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX, to help drive business growth and operational efficiencies for Sally Salon Services, a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies.

Sally Salon Services existing business technology was becoming increasingly outdated and lacked sufficient functionality and flexibility to support the organisation as it expanded over time. It was looking for a way to future-proof itself by moving away from these outmoded legacy systems and instead embracing new technology with both a proven historical track record and a clearly-defined future growth path.

Microsoft Dynamics AX fitted the bill in all these respects - but Sally Salon Services was also looking for an implementation partner it could trust. It chose HSO.

As John McAleese, account manager, HSO, explains: "Sally Salon Services wanted the reassurance of working with a partner who not only really understood the Dynamics AX platform well but also had a comprehensive knowledge of the core market in which they operate: retail. We became the partner of choice by putting forward a project team, featuring a good mix of Dynamics AX experts but also retail specialists that spoke the same business language as Sally Salon Services."

The implementation of Dynamics AX is now well underway, with the project taking place in three phases.

The first two phases have already gone live. The first phase was to transition Sally Salon Services finance function over to the new solution, and the second phase covered product set-up, pricing management, account processing and invoicing. The third phase, scheduled for completion in 2018, will address inventory and stock management; sales order processes and customer contact/management.

Once this stage concludes, Sally Salon Services will have a comprehensive enterprise-wide business processing platform, based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, that effectively paves the way for future business expansion.

Mark Purnell, Head of IT Development, Sally Salon Services, says: "Some of the operational IT systems we had been using previously were either coming towards end of life or were no longer supported. In contrast, there is a clear future roadmap for Microsoft Dynamics AX. We know the system will be able to evolve to match our own expansion plans and we know that HSO will be able to support us through this process.

"We are already reaping the rewards from the Dynamics AX implementation," adds Purnell. "We have established a more consistent way of working across the organisation; we have driven efficiencies and streamlined certain processes – and we now have a robust, reliable and future-proofed platform in place on which to further build the business.

"The support and consultancy we have received from HSO has also been key in helping us to achieve these goals," he continues. "We are delighted with the quality of HSO staff that have been deployed on this project. We have established a close relationship with them and there are high levels of trust and cooperation between the two organisations."

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